Melee Options For Dedicated Crossbow Users

[WITCHCRAFT]

I'm on my second generation of crossbow built, with +2 steel bolts. I know that you get a bigger bonus by heirlooming the crossbow first, but I decided to max out my bolts while trying different builds to see which crossbow I want for the long run.

My last character had 1h weapon proficiency, so I could use axes, picks, etc. with an arbalest and one stack of bolts, or a 0 slot dagger or sickle with 2 stacks of bolts. If you land an arbalest shot on someone, you can usually finish them with a warhammer or axe when they reach you. The sickle was my favorite 0 slot weapon because IT LOOK COOL and you can use it to block while you run away.

My current character is level 30, and this time I built to allow more flexibility. With some levels in shield and riding and polearm wpf, I could switch to light cav if needed, or use a number of crossbow setups. I had a lot of fun with some of the more expensive 2 slot polearms and a regular 1 slot crossbow/1 stack of bolts. With the arbalest, my only polearm choices were staff, quarterstaff, or shortened spear. The shortened spear is a lot of fun - even with just over 100 wpf it is absurdly fast, and the polestun makes people stagger often enough that you can usually get 2-3 hits in quick succession. The damage is low, but I don't mind since melee is a last resort when you have an arbalest. You want to fend off any immediate attackers, then back off behind your teamates to reload.

So, after reading all that, here's my question: My next character will be the last one before I "have" to pick which crossbow to heirloom. With +3 steel bolts, I'll be levelling two handed weapon proficiency. For the majority of 2h weapons, I will have to forget the arbalest and use a crossbow, but there are a few options for 2h and an arbalest. Are there any 1 slot 2h weapons besides the cudgel and the langes messer? I feel like I will probably end up heirlooming my arbalest and settling on shortened spear or langes messer for a final build, but if anyone has suggestions (or if I missed any possible 1 slot weapons) I'd like to hear from you!

Thanks!

 

[Miwiw]

2handed wep:

Mace - with 70 length one of the shorter ones, is 2h with 1 slot and got some nice blunt dmg, can also knock down.

(click to show/hide)

weapon length: 70
weight: 2
difficulty: 8
speed rating: 98
weapon length: 70
thrust damage: 0 pierce
swing damage: 28 blunt
slots: 1
Knockdown
Price: 4,225

1handed wep:

Military Sickle - bit longer than mace. actually 1handed, but has 2h mode.  nice pierce dmg

(click to show/hide)

weapon length: 75
weight: 1.5
difficulty: 10
speed rating: 99
weapon length: 75
thrust damage: 0 pierce
swing damage: 26 pierce
slots: 1
Secondary Mode
Price: 3,208

Fighting Axe -  longer than the 2 above, bonus against shields, cut dmg, 1h but with 2handed mode

(click to show/hide)

weapon length: 84
weight: 2
difficulty: 12
speed rating: 95
weapon length: 84
thrust damage: 0 pierce
swing damage: 32 cut
slots: 1
Bonus against Shield
Secondary Mode
Price: 3,375

those would be the 3 weapons I would recommend besides of Langes Messer. They all have pros and cons of course and I would say, try them if you'd like and see if you like them or not. I would also check what you get improved by looming them.

[Elmokki]

Langes Messer also has a 2h mode and is pretty good.

EDIT: Owait, already mentioned.

[martyrAD]

You shouldnt really need more then 1 stack of bolts with the arby. and honestly tjeres nothing wrong with just using a one hander... hell i use the italian falchion, and i know some people who use the scimitars as well as the cleavers. So you really do have quite a lot of choices so pic k something you like

[Mallets]

Military Fork is a 1-slot polearm.  Has 28 pierce, which seems decent to me.  And it you have decent athletics being a ranged player (not sure that you do?), you could be really effective with a polearm.

[larlek]

Don't bring one. Run and gun. Kick if you need to.

[ZEE_BISHOP]

Miwiw99 made the best suggestions IMO, I'd personally avoid cutting weapons as you're liable to glance with anything less than 6 power strike. But the mace / pick are popular choices which not only don't glance much but have a bonus Vrs armour.

[Spanish]

I personally liked the darkarma build using the arbalest and military cleaver as it doesnt glance had deceptive range and has quite a bit of cut so even heavy armor builds don't want toget hit by it and it doesn't get stun locked as often as lighter 1hs. I also fight defensively with it pulling away using the 8 ath I had to get away after hitting them a couple times to reload my Xbow. You shouldn't really think about killing ppl with the melee weapon so much as deterring them or using it to make a get away

[WITCHCRAFT]

Thanks for the replies everyone! I know there were a couple options I had missed.

[martyrAD]

34c 21p italian falchion.... its still short tho.. lol

[Byrdi]

Sell your next two heirloom points and buy a MW arbelast for it. (600 k=heirloom point, MW Arbalest = 1.2 mil)

Also dont give up on 1handed. There are a lot more weapons to chose from and if you go 18/21 with 100 1h wpf, you'll be able to fight just as good as a dedicated 1h shielder.

[Strudog]

dedicated arbalest build is the best crossbow build, i would advise this:

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Its a sniper class for the arbalest and i use the Military cleaver with it, it gets me great scores and its a class where you can fight in melee and ranged.

[martyrAD]

go with that build but only 140 in xbow, and you have enough leftover to have goof wpf in one handers..

[Boerenlater]

Why do you need wpf in 1h with a light agi build?

[haxKingdom]

that balance between wpfs is stupid. just putting 172 and you could get double your 1h wpf (so I recomend until 50, right before wpf starts costing 2). besides wpf in the slowest xbow wont make much of a difference and what decides damage the most is STR.